Article timing device



' June 6, 1944. E T 2,350,479

ARTICLE TIMING DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 16, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 1 June 6, 1944. f R. J. STEWART 2,350,479

ARTICLE TIMING DEVICE I Original Filed Aug. 16, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 6, 1944. STEWART 2,350,479

ARTICLE TIMING DEVICE Original Filed Aizg. 16, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet s zzk e.

Patented June 6, 1944 2,350,479 ARTICLE TIMING DEVICE Robert J; Stewart, Baltimore, Md, assignor to Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Baltimore, Md., a corporation ofrlYew-York Original application August is, 1938, Serial No. 225,230. Divided and this application January 29, 1942, Serial No. 428,797

4 Claims. .(Ql. 138-34) The present invention relates to an article timing device for use with conveyors, and is a division of my application for Apparatus for sealing containers, Serial No. 225,230, filed August 16, 1938, and 2,311,707, February 23, 1943.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a means to transfer containers or other articles from one conveyor to another and in properly timed relation. 7

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism to center articles upon a conveyor and also to insure that articles will be positioned in properly spaced relation upon a conveyor.

A further object of the invention is to provide devices of the type referred to above which will cooperate to place containers or other articles in properly spaced relation upon a moving conveyor. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a container sealing apparatus provided with the mechanism of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detail view on the lines2-2 of Figures 1 and 3 and, showing a transfer and gate mechanism which may be used with the in vention. l Figure 3 shows the mechanism of Figure 2 in plan. r

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 4 l of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of ,a gate member used in the mechanisms of Figures 3 and/l.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a container spacing and centering mechanism. s

Figure 7 shows a detail of the spacing mechanism, the view being taken on the line 1-] of Figure 9.

Figure 8 is a detail view, partly in side elevation and partly invertical section, of one of the blades of the spacing mechanism, and

Figure 9 is a transverse vertical sectional: view on the line 9-4! of Figure 6'.

Referring to Figure 1, which shows themechanism of the present invention positioned ador jars indicated by the letter J which have-been filled uponthe filling machine 'lil leave the filling machine by movement about an outf-eed spider of usual construction-and provided withcirissued as Patent No.

cumferentially spaced pockets, the. spider posi- 55 tioning the containers upon an endless straight line conveyor l2. v

Containers J moving along the conveyor 12 move to the gate and transfer mechanism It which serves'to insure that the containers will be positioned upon the straight line container supporting conveyor 15 in spaced relation.

After being positioned upon the conveyor is, the containers move through a centering mechanism I! which exerts a slight drag upon the containers, and insures that each container will be positioned directly in advance of one of a plurality of lugs I5a which are spaced at regular intervals along the supporting conveyor [5. The lugsxlfia'. are so spaced with respect to each other and the conveyor I5 is so timed with respect to the operation of the mechanismto which the containers are moved, for example a capping mechanism such as disclosed in said original applicaconveyor l5 which moves containers throughan apparatus such as disclosed in said original application. The transfer mechanism" I4 includes a base plate carried on the upright posts 3|. Plate 30 isprovided with openings 32 and 33 and "the upper of conveyor l2 moves over one side of the base plate and" down through the opening 33, while the upper run of conveyor I5 moves upwardly through opening 32 and along the other side of the base plate.

' Guide plates 35 and 31 are ad-justably secured to the base plate by means of bolts 38 extendin through slots 39 in the plates. Plate 36 extends along the outer edge of conveyor 12 and includes a portion 40 having an inclined edge 4|, portion All overlying'the right hand end of conveyor 12,

and the inclined edge ll serving to guide containe-rs J from the outfeed end of conveyor l2 toward the conveyor l5. The guide plate. 3-! is of a form generally complementary to the opposite edge of plate ii) and includes an inclined edge 42 along which containers J will move when directed toward conveyor l5 by plate 35. It will be observed that the arrangement of the-plates 36 and 31 with respect to each other is such that a container J moving in a straight line along conveyor I2 will have its direction of movement slightly varied, and without jarring action, so that it will be positioned upon the conveyor I5.

The guide plate 31 supports a gate or timing device which serves to 'insure'that containers will be positioned upon the conveyor I5 at properly spaced intervals. The timing device is mounted in a cut-out 45 in the infeed end of plate 31 and includes a link 48 pivoted at one end upon a pin 41 fixed in 3, lug 48 extending into the thereof extending beneath the edges of the links of the conveyor I5 so as to support the upper run of the conveyor. The lower portion of bracket 65 has a pair of spaced lugs 68 projecting downwardly from each side thereof and each pair of lugs supports a pivot pin 69 between the same. An angled lever 10 has its lower and inner end 'journalled on each pin 69 so that a-pivotally mounted angled lever I0 is thus provided at each side of the conveyor I5. The levers I8 are held mpwardly alongside the conveyor I5 by means of cut-out as shown in Figures 3 and. 4. At its free end, the link 46 has a cam pin '50 fixed thereto, 1

the pin 50 extending toward conveyor I2. Pin 50 carries a roller 5I rotatable on the pin, roller 5| being adapted to bear, byits own weight, upon g the upper surface of the conveyor I5. Conveyor I5 is provided with spaced upstanding lugs I5a and as 3, lug I5a moves beneath the roller 5| the latter will be lifted. A latch or gate element 53 is pivoted upon the plate 31 on a vertical pivot pin, 53a, gate 53 including a beveled shoulder 54 which normally projectsinto the path of travel .of containers J on the conveyor I2 because, in such normal position, the adjacent end of cam pin 58 is in contact with a vertical face 55 of the rear wall of latch 53 as, shown in Figure 5.

Hence,the' movement'of containers past the gate a rod II extending beneath the bracket 65, rod

H being positioned to extend between each pair of lugs 685 A collar I2 is pinned to the rod II 5| and link will be swung upwardly, thereby raising the. cam pin 50, bringing the same opposite an inclined portion 58 on the upper rear surface 'of gate 53. 7 Gate 53 will thus be free to swing backwardly by the pressure of a container against the same and the shoulderv 54 will be moved from the path of the leading container on conveyor I2jso that the container will be moved forward by'the conveyor I2 past the gate and ontoconveyor I5. Immediately the lug I5a has moved from beneath the roller 5|, the cam pin 58 will drop and will come into contact with the-vertical surface 55 of the retracted gate element, "and the weight of the roller and link will force the gate outwardly to its normal position in time to contact with the nextsucceeding containerJr As indicated in Figured, the release of 'th'egate '53 is-so-timed that a container will be moved upon the conveyor I5 to a point substantiallymidway between two lugs I5a of the latter conveyor, thereby assuring that an advancing lug I5a to the rear of the container will not interfere with the movement of the container upon the conveyor I5.

The conveyors I2 and I5 and their adjacent shafts 58 and 59 are respectively provided with sprockets 80 and BI connected by a sprocket chain shown in Figure 9', this mechanism comprises a substantially U-shaped bracket secured to the angled bars 88 along which the conveyor I5 moves, As will be noted in Figures 6 and 9, the angled bars 66 have the horizontal 1 portion between the two pairs of lugs 68 so that longitudinal movement of the rod will be prevented and rodv II has its opposite ends oppositely threaded as indicated at I4 with the threaded portions respectively extending through pins I8 journalled in pockets I5 in the levers Ill. By this arrangement, rotation of the rod II by means of knobs I8 provided at eachend thereof will cause the levers III to be drawn inwardly against the sides of the brackets 65, or the levers may be moved outwardly toward the dotted line position of Figure 9, the levers being respectively maintained at equal distances from the longitudinal center-line of the upper run of [conveyor Each lever I0 has a plate secured to its upper end, each plate being arranged to extend in a horizontal plane and parallel to the upper surface of the conveyor I5 when thelevers -10 are in their innermost position. ,As shown in Figure 6, each plate 88 has the portion of its inner edge 8| with which containers will first contact inclined inwardly towardthe center of the conveyor I5 so that containers abutting with these edges of the plates will be longitudinally centered with respect to the conveyor. The next adjacent edge portion 82 of the plates extends parallel with the longitudinal center-line of the conveyor so that containers will be held centeredwith respect to the conveyor while passing between these portions of the plates.

As best shown in Figures 6 and 8, drag fingers 84 are mounted at the outlet portion of the plates 80, the fingers 84 being pivoted upon the plates and held in the inward position indicated in Figure 6 by resilient means. In the embodiment of the mechanism disclosed herein, each finger 84 is pivoted upon its plate 80 by means of a shouldered stud screw 85. (Figure 8) which extends through the plate 80 and is threaded in a lower plate 86 secured to the plate 88 by means of machine screws 81. A washer 88 may be provided beneath the finger, 84 and the plate 80. The lower plate 86 includes an upwardly extending ear 89 fitted in a cut-out in the plate 80 and ear 89 has one end of a leaf spring 90 secured thereto as by screws 9| so that the free end of the leaf spring 90 bears upon the outer face of the finger 84. By thisarrangement, each finger 84 will normally be held in the position indicated in Figure 6 but may swing outwardly or rear- Adjustment of the position of the plates 80 of the centering and retarding mechanism 1! will enable small sized containers to be centered upon the conveyor 15.

It will be observed that the mechanism of Figures 2 to 5 and the mechanism of Figures 6 to 9 cooperate to place a container or other article in a desired position upon a receiving conveyor and, more particularly, place the container in contact with a container engaging device on the receiving conveyor. Thus, articles moving at random on one conveyor may be properly spaced and, if desired, exactly positioned upon a receiving conveyor.

While the invention has been described as used for handling containers, its use with other articles will be apparent.

The phraseology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and isnot intended to limit the invention, the scope of the invention being indicated in the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a delivery conveyor, a continuously moving receiving conveyor, means to move said latter conveyor, said receiving conveyor having article engaging members spaced along and moving with the same, means operated by said article engaging members to control movement of articles from the delivery conveyor to the receiving conveyor and to place articles on the latter conveyor intermediate of and out of contact with said article engaging members, and resilient means associated with the receiving conveyor to retard the movement of articles moving therewith so that an article will be held against movement with the receiving conveyor until the article is in engagement with an article engaging member.

2. In combination, a pair of conveyors, a latch movable into a position to extend over the path of one of said conveyors, the other of said conveyors having upwardly projecting trip members spaced along the same, and a vertically movable arm arranged in the path of movement of said 'trip members, said arm being weighted to normally contact with said latch to hold the latter over the path of said first conveyor.

3. In combination, a delivery conveyor, a receiving conveyor, means to drive said conveyors, said conveyors having portions thereof arranged side-by-side, means to guide an article from the delivery conveyor to the receiving conveyor, a latch movable into a position to extend over the delivery conveyor to prevent the movement of articles therewith and toward said guide means, a vertically movable arm extending above said receiving conveyor and normally bearing on the latter, said arm being mounted to contact with said latch in said normal position to hold the latter in a position to extend over the delivery conveyor, and a plurality of trips spaced along said receiving conveyor and adapted to lift said arm from said latch so that articles may move past said latch toward said guide means.

4. In combination, a delivery conveyor, a receiving conveyor, means to drive said conveyors, said conveyors having portions thereof arranged side-by-side, means to guide an article from the delivery conveyor to the receiving conveyor, a latch movable into a position to extend over the delivery conveyor to prevent the movement of articles therewith and toward said guide means, a vertically movable arm extending above said receiving conveyor and normally bearing on the latter, said arm being mounted to contact with said latch in saidnormal position to hold the latter in a position to extend over the delivery conveyor, and article engaging members spaced along said receiving conveyor and adapted to lift said arm from said latch so that articles may move past said latch toward said guide means, and resiliently mounted means associated With said receiving conveyor to engage each article and hold it against movement with said receiving conveyor until the article is in contact with an article engaging member.

ROBERT J. STEWART. 

